Streetlights
by journaliar
Summary: Oneshot- "She’s right in the middle, like a beacon..." CarlyxSam
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Just a one shot based on the song "Sometime Around Midnight" By The Airborne Toxic Event

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Streetlights

You glance down at your watch absently, the hands showing you that it's a little bit after midnight and you sigh, bringing your drink to your lips slowly.

This club isn't really your scene. Smoky and dark with music that's all flowing strings, melancholy piano and thudding drums that people don't so much dance to rather than just move to.

You lean against the bar, the lip of the wood digging into your back and your thinking about telling your friends that your leaving, even though you know they'll whine and call you no fun and a homebody but you're okay with that at this point.

Your eyes stray to the dance floor carelessly, searching the throng of twisting, sliding people for your room mates and then you see her.

She's right in the middle, dancing and laughing like a beacon in a white dress with thin straps that you'd never imagine her wearing, in a sea of black leather and dark denim.

And you know its her because you recognize her blonde hair, brackish under the club light, and her loose limbs and her blue blue eyes. You know its her.

You're clutching at the bar before you even realize it because you haven't seen her in a lifetime and even then she didn't look like this. She was teary eyed and sobbing while you walked away and the memory makes you down the rest of your drink quickly and order another.

And you drink and drink as memories wash over you. Memories of kisses and expanses of skin and even further back when everything was innocent.

You're well into your third drink when she comes up to you. Its sort of like you blink and she's just there and you didn't know how much you missed her until now.

"Carls." She says your name like she's been holding it in forever.

"Sam." You says, tasting her name and she smells good an she looks good, even clutching her own drink to her chest like a cross. Like a shield.

You tell her so and she smiles that smile you remember and you make small talk, try to make her smile some more before a tall guy you don't know comes up behind her and tells her its time to go.

She looks sad then but nods. Says "It was good seeing you, Kiddo." Before she takes that guys big hand in hers and then she's gone in a beautiful slip of white and your just standing there watching her go.

You see the way she looks back at you before she slips out of the club, over the rim of you glass.

"What's up with you, Carly? You look like you've seen a ghost." Your room mate says suddenly beside you and you ignore her, down the rest of your drink and make your way towards the exit.

By the time you get through the twist and grind of people and into the crisp, clean air, you realize how drunk you are but you keep going, glancing around at the small clumps of people for that flash of white and blonde hair.

You walk under the muted streetlights, alcohol making the wet pavement dance in front of your eyes and you just need to see her. To talk to her. Anything.

But you can't.

You're standing on the street corner, drunk and desperate and lost and God, you just need to see her.

Suddenly a rock dances past your feet, propelled by some unknown force and when you turn, there she is. Pale and golden even in the darkness and she's hugging the light pole watching you like you guys have all the time in the world.

"Hey Carly."


	2. Chapter 2

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A/N: This was supposed to be a oneshot but here's a second chapter so I guess that bumps it up to a two shot. This chapter is also based on a song, "Falling in Love at a Coffee Shop" by Landon Pigg. R&R

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You've been here before.

You don't realize it until your sitting inside of the warm coffee shop and the alcohol starts to ware off.

You've been here before.

Sam asks if you remember it over the steaming cup of coffee that the waitress brings her and you watch her drink, watch the line of her throat and the way the shine on her lip transfers to the rim of the cup and of course you remember.

This is where you fell for her.

This is the place where you told her all of the things that she didn't already know about you and this is where she never judged you, not even the dark, shadowy parts of you and this is where she always understood you.

Of course you know this place.

You use to love this place.

You use to love the juke box in the corner and the ugly vinyl seats and how it was different from all of the other chain coffee shops pocking the world. You use to love how Sam would rush in from the cold, cheeks and nose bright red and smile at you when she dropped down across from you in the booth.

You never knew what it was about this old coffee shop that you loved so much until you came without her and it didn't feel as warm as before.

Sam asks about Spencer, about your dad, even Freddie, all the while looking unbearable beautiful across from you under the flickering light and you tell her that everyone's fine and while you speak her eyes, blue and clear, wander over you and you want to know what she's looking at. What she's looking for.

She asks you if your dating, eyebrows arching in a way that's mischievous and makes you remember and regret and you grip the edge of the table and laugh it off.

You don't tell her that it was better to be alone than to be with someone who wasn't her.

She talks then, in that calm, lazy way that is all hers and you can't help but smile when she lets it slip that the guy at the bar wasn't her boyfriend, fitting it into the conversation.

She's smiling again and you'd be content with just watching her do that all night because the last time you saw her just smile like that was before you broke her heart.

But its late and Sam mentions work and school and then you're outside in the cold and out of the coffee shop where you fell so hard for her.

You don't live far and Sam offers to walk you home because when it came down to it, she always took care of you no matter what and you talk a little more.

Small nonsensical things while her dress blows in the gentle wind.

You're home all too soon and Sam is looking at you sadly and you just want to stay with her a little longer.

You need more time because you might wake up tomorrow and never see her again.

The notion takes over your brain for a moment in an all consuming way and its enough to make you want to kiss her.

But you don't.

You imagine that her lips are soft and cold from the air and that she tastes like coffee but you don't.

"I guess this is goodnight." She whispers and you nod, looking back at the apartment she had to leave when you told her that you didn't want her anymore.

But you were wrong. You'll always need her.

"Sam, come up." You whisper, beg, plead and she licks her lips very carefully.

"That's probably not a good idea." She smiles sadly and she's right.

She's right.

She's says 'Goodnight.' and you say 'Goodbye' and that makes her frown and tilt her head just so, blond hair falling over her shoulder.

"Don't worry," She breathes, lips curling into a soft smile. "We'll see each other around."


End file.
